Mystery Surrounding These Ancient Message is Yet Unsolved

In Peru's Pura region sits the Nazca Desert, a 5,000-square-mile mass of sand dunes adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. It sits next to the foothills of the mighty Andes mountain range and represents Peru's lowest geographical point. As cold coastal waters combine with the subtropical air inland, the perfect conditions are created to make such an environment, and as a result, it has existed untouched for millions of years. This is an unspoiled stretch of sand and scrubland inhabited mainly by small reptiles and rodents, animals that are capable of living in extreme conditions. Despite the harsh climate and landscape, however, humans have populated the region for thousands of years, leaving behind one of the most bizarre mysteries in history, the Nazca Lines. In today's video, we will be taking a look at the Nazca Lines, discussing what they were, how they were made, and theories surrounding their origin. Although it is important to remember that this is still one of the largest mysteries in South American history, join us as we travel back through time to discover the ancient puzzle of the Nazca Lines. The Nazca Lines are carvings in the harder soil of the Nazca Desert, which were made by ancient peoples possibly between 500 BC and 500 AD. The lines cover a space on the desert soil of 50 square kilometers, and the total length of all the lines comes to over 1,300 meters. Most of the lines simply run directly from A to B across the desert, but many geoglyphic engravings of animals and plants can also be viewed from the air. Most of the engravings are between 10 and 15 centimeters deep, and roughly 33 centimeters wide. At their widest, however, individual lines can be almost two meters across. The lines were made by individuals dragging large wooden or metal tools across the earth, creating patterns as they scraped out the topsoil and exposed the lighter earth underneath. Along the way, all pebbles, plants, or natural debris was moved from the path of the lines to show undisturbed images etched into the soil forever. The Nazca Lines are split up into two different phases, each containing lines that were engraved at a similar time. We have the Paracas phase, thought to be produced by the Paracas culture of southern Peru between 500 BC to 200 BC. And we have the Nazca phase, thought to be produced by the succeeding Nazca culture between 200 BC to 580. Many of the Nazca Lines can be seen from the tops of the surrounding Andes foothills, but more have been discovered in modern times with the advent of drone technology and flight. Most of the shapes have been constructed from one continuous line, which is massively impressive considering some of the individual patterns measure up to 370 meters across. The lines have been able to remain visible for so long due to the dry climate of the Nazca Desert, but occasionally change slightly when poor weather affects the region in rare circumstances or from disruption from modern humans in the area. More than 70 of the Nazca Lines form the simple outlines of animals etched into the earth with carving tools. The animals in question are all native to the South American continent and would have been based upon sightings from the people who carved the lines. Amidst the lines can be seen birds such as hummingbirds, condors, herons, and pelicans, mammals such as monkeys, dogs, cats, humans, and whales, as well as lizards, fish, arachnids, and more. There are also plenty of botanical petroglyphs which consist of depictions of trees and flowers. The Nazca Lines were first mentioned by Pedro Cieza de León, a Spanish conquistador who is known to have documented the landscape and culture of Peru in the mid-1500s. When he first saw them from the surrounding foothills, long before they could be seen as depictions of animals, he assumed them to be trail markers, perhaps pointing local people in the direction of settlements, hunting grounds, or other significant sites. They were later interpreted as the remains of ancient roads, before falling into the depths of historical obscurity for centuries to come. The significance of the lines was later realized by pilots operating in Peru throughout the 1920s, who were able to get a much better view of the shapes and From here they were quick to gather the attention of archaeologists, who would attempt to decipher what they meant, how they got there, and when. Paul Cossack, an American historian, was the first to study the Nazca Lines in detail, which he did throughout the course of the 1940s while visiting Peru. He noted several features that could not have been down to coincidence, including the fact that many of the lines converged on the horizon of the Nazca Desert on the day of the winter solstice in Peru. Along with several other scientists, Cossack began to attempt to interpret the lines from a scientific standpoint, but nobody for absolute certainty has the answer to this day. Over the course of the next several decades, the lines were studied at length to attempt to determine why they were there in the first place. While the answer was never uncovered, we have been able to learn several things about how the lines came to be. Wooden stakes have been discovered impaled into the earth at the end of some lines, which are thought to be the remnants of tools used by the Nazca culture to engrave them into the soil. We know that individual shapes were created over a period of several days, and the Nazca lines as a whole were the product of hundreds of years of work. Other objects of interest have been discovered alongside the lines, including figures that resemble human heads, figures that resemble undetermined animals, and many smaller geoglyphs that were previously invisible to scientists prior to the advent of modern technologies. As of 2022, there are 358 known Nazca geoglyphs, and that number is still rising. Drones are being flown around new research centers in the Nazca desert, which scientists hope could reveal more information about the lines, as well as bringing more glyphs to our attention. In reality, scientists believe that the Nazca lines we do know of only scratch the surface. There are thought to be many, many more out there that we haven't yet been able to observe, due to erosion and the positioning of the lines. Many theories exist as to why the lines were developed in the first place, many of which are rooted in science and rationality. However, as with all ancient mysteries, there are those that claim the lines have paranormal or extraterrestrial links, but we will come to those later in the video. The lines seem to have a heavy religious connection, as they were constructed by people who had very close ties with their pantheon of gods and deities. Some theories state that the animals and figures represented at the Nazca line sites show these deities in detail, or at least symbolic representations of them. Other theories claim that the Nazca peoples etched these lines in the earth for the gods themselves to see, perhaps as artwork to appease them, which would in turn bring them good fortune and bounty. Historians have theorized that the lines show water deities, harvest deities, and more, with certain animals representing different attributes that would appease the gods. Other theories link the lines to astronomy and cosmology, Due to the links with the cosmos seen in other ancient works of engineering such as Stonehenge in England and the Cahokia Mounds in Missouri, scientists are considering the idea that the lines were constructed as a sort of ancient observatory, pinpointing where astrological features would sit in the sky on a day-to-night basis. Such indications in the soil would show where the sun would rise and set for example, or the location of certain stars in the night sky. Others believe that the geoglyphs show depictions of star constellations interpreted by ancient South Americans, or that they showed personifications of the black negative space created by a lack of stars in the Milky Way. Perhaps these astral links also had a big religious importance to these people, combining the two sets of theories. Some scholars have also connected the Nazca Lines with the ruins of the ancient Nazca settlement of Kawachi, a few miles south of the site. These researchers have split the geoglyphs into different functions, each of which was represented by a temple building in Kawachi. The functions included glyphs that were linked to ceremony and the calendar, which has led some researchers to believe that the Nazca Lines were constructed to communicate with groups of Nazca peoples across the domain at different times of the year. This coincides with the theory that the Nazca Lines may have been used as irrigation systems, carrying water to different parts of the desert, or that they were used as devices that would ritually summon water to the naturally dry landscape. Some theories are a little less believable. Erich von Däniken, a Swiss writer, for example, has theorized that the Nazca Lines, along with several other ancient landmarks and ruins, are connected to and were possibly made by ancient aliens who visited Earth while we were still beginning to evolve and civilize. He believes that religions were the result of aliens visiting Earth, leading ancient people to view them as gods, forming cults and sects around them. He views the Nazca Lines in particular as landing sites for UFOs, with the direction of the lines instructing aliens how best to take off and land on Earth, likening the shape of some of the patterns in the soil to those laid out on airport runways. Däniken describes the aliens in question, reportedly based on a piece of Sanskrit literature, as human-like beings with golden, shimmering skins, who landed on Earth in ancient times before mining for local resources amidst the lands occupied by the Nazca peoples. The native humans were apparently so amazed by this encounter that they established their settlements close to where the aliens landed, worshipping them as gods for centuries to come. They would reportedly go on to make more geoglyphs in the soil to act as invitations for their gods to return to Earth. But alas, the aliens were never seen again. It goes without saying that this is not in line with modern science, and numerous reputable scientists have debunked Däniken's claims that aliens influenced the creation of the Nazca Lines. It is very clear that the lines could have been engraved with no aerial instruction or influence, and that they were made using basic tools available to the Nazca peoples at the time, some of which are even left behind at the site. As it stands, these claims are little more than disrespectful misinformation that fail to credit the capabilities of the people who actually constructed these impressive works of ancient wonder. Unfortunately, the Nazca Lines could be destroyed from the soil of the Peruvian Desert before we even have the chance to uncover their story. Pollution caused by deforestation in Peru, as well as the erosion brought about by human machinery at the site, has begun to cause some of the lines to fade. Excess rainfall as a result of climate change threatens to wash away the lines altogether. Remember that the lines' very existence relies upon the aridity and windless conditions of the desert they are located in. Another problem can be seen in the form of squatters that have begun to occupy the land containing the Nazca Lines. As the squatters live and walk over the site, the lines begin to fade, which is only furthered when they build on the land and let their livestock graze there. Charity rallies, off-road races, and quarrying work has also begun to erode sections of the lines, which, while resulting in heavy fines to those responsible, is all contributing to the loss of a hugely important cultural site. That being said, we are learning more about the lines all the time. The responsible research work carried out in the Nazca Desert is helping modern scientists reveal more glyphs and Nazca artifacts, which in turn will hopefully be able to tell us more about why these lines were created in the first place. Whether they have religious, astrological, or technological significance is still up to debate. But one thing is certain, the lines remain an impressive wonder of the ancient world.